More solid (or at least more precise) information about the Apple prototypes we wrote about a few weeks ago has come to light: According to rumors, Apple’s partnership with Sharp will come to fruition sometime early next year, when 32 and 37-inch iTVs will launch sometime in the first half of 2012. Supposedly, these televisions will launch alongside a revamped Apple TV, and both will be the harbingers of à la carte cable offerings, where you can pick and choose channels individually.

In typical Apple fashion, the TVs reportedly may cost up to twice what comparable models already on the shelves do. The televisions will likely be controlled both by a traditional remote, and by Siri voice commands. While it’s virtually certain that Apple’s hipster and nerd base will likely pay whatever they ask for the thing, it remains to be seen if the populace at large will sacrifice 60 inches for a fashion statement and technological bleeding edge. The real question is how many of the features Apple will lock out of Apple TV whenever they upgrade it to support these new capabilities to keep a purpose for the new TV (Siri is probably a dead lock, except maybe through an app on iPhone 4S).

The most interesting new tidbit, though, is definitely the notion of à la carte cable. It’s going to be really interesting to see if Apple can pull it off. The trials and tribulations of getting a simple thing like HBO GO running, which requires you to have an existing cable subscription to the service to even access the app, demonstrates exactly how tight a grip cable companies have on the networks. If anyone can loosen that stranglehold, it’s Apple. Don’t expect the cable providers to give up without a fight, though.

Related Articles

Features

Most people think they have to overhaul a sprawling basement or game room in order to create a true home theater experience. But that’s certainly not the case. You can create a true home theater, a room that lets you escape from the outside world and immerse yourself in top-notch audio and larger-than-life video in so much as a spare room.

AMX-controlled smart home by MediaTech Intelligent Home Systems (www.mediatechliving.com)

Intelligent homes are nothing new. Manufacturers like Crestron, AMX, Control4, Elan, Savant, and others have been playing the home automation game for years, decades even. These OG home automation systems require a custom integrator to install, usually have some hard-wired element, and are intuitive, sophisticated, feature-rich, and highly functional.

You were blessed with lots of windows and your living room has incredible natural light. So what’s the problem? Oh, is glare ruining your TV picture? Read on to find expert advice to fix this annoying problem.

You are trying to watch a film in high-def on Apple TV, your daughter is listening to Spotify while she’s doing homework, your wife is working on her laptop, your toddler is playing on the iPad, and your son is, gulp, doing some serious PC gaming. All this online action can bring your home network to its knees.